Gohan's Question
by Celeborn
Summary: PART 2 IS UP!!!! FIND OUT THE QUESTION AND THE ANSWER !Somethings been bugging Gohan for a few years now. He needs to ask Vegeta a question. Will the Saiyan Prince grace him with an answer? Please review!!
1. Default Chapter

**This is my first fic. So please don't flame me to bad. I haven't seen any on this subject yet so maybe it's a little original. Please Review so I'll know if you liked it or not.**

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**I have no money. Not even a car!**

**Gohan's Question**

It was time for the annual get together at Capsule Corp. Most of the Z team kept in regular contact, but just like all friendships, everyone had their own lives and it was inevitable to loose close contact.

Bulma had determined not to let that happen. So she had made everyone promise that no matter what, they would always get together on May 12 every year at her place for a reunion. Five years had passed and so much had changed. They had changed.

Trunks was almost six years old and getting more like Vegeta every day.

Krillin and Juuan had gotten very serious and were talking marriage. Strange as it seemed. But Krillin was happier than anyone had ever seen him, and had let his hair grow out too.

Juuan was nice enough, but everyone was still a little wary of her. She had no problem speaking her mind and usually ended up arguing with Vegeta until Bulma intervened to keep them from destroying her home.

Chichi was still the domineering mother she always was, but it seemed she was more lenient with her four year old son Goten than she had ever been with Gohan. Goku's death had nearly destroyed her. Goten had looked so much like him, she just didn't have the heart to push him as hard as she had her oldest boy. But she still made him crack the books when he wasn't out running with Trunks.

Gohan was sixteen now and the top student at his school. He was still pretty shy, and even though the girls flocked to him, he didn't go out much. Preferring to stay to himself, or stick to his training of Goten.

Piccolo was still his silent foreboding self. Preferring a fight to socializing. But he endured the reunion with his friends. He would have loved to spar with Vegeta, but Bulma had set the rules. No fighting or sparring, period. Even though she was a weak human female, she held the power of fear over them. It was rather humiliating. After all, she wasn't even his wife and she still ordered him around.

Yamcha still hadn't settled down, but at least he had a steady girlfriend. Most of his time was taken up by his professional baseball career. He had held the major league record for home runs three years running now.

Vegeta was indifferent to the get together. As usual, staying at a distance and only listening to the others conversations. He had changed tremendously since the Cell games, but still held on to the persona of being a quick tempered asshole and always ready for a fight.

But he had mellowed somewhat. Even becoming a disgruntled, if not threatened, participant in his son's life.

There were two missing however. Two hero's. Goku was gone. Carrying on his life in the other realm. And Trunks. Gone back to the future for good. They all hoped things had worked out for him and he was safe and happy. But they would probably never know.

Everyone mingled and talked about what was happening in their lives. Krillin was telling everyone that a date would be set soon. Maybe even the day of the reunion, for sentimental reasons.

Gohan sipped at his punch, looking around. He spotted Vegeta, sitting in a lawn chair under a tree. Looking decidedly bored.

He had wanted to talk to him about something for years, but had never quite worked up the nerve to ask knowing the question would not be well received. Sighing, he made his way over and sat down in a chair next to him.

"What do you want boy?" Vegeta asked in his usual gruff manner. Annoyed at his privacy being infringed upon.

Gohan fidgeted with his cup. "I, um, I wanted to ask you a question. It's been on my mind for years now. And, well, I just needed to know."

Vegeta frowned as the boy paused. Gohan had always been respectful to him, even though he was stronger. "Well?!"

**Intrigued? If you want me to finish, please review. Otherwise I'll move on to something else.**

**End of part 1.**


	2. Part 2

I will allow myself an evil chuckle. Bwahaha. Yeah I know it was pretty shitty of me to leave off like that, but don't you just love suspense!? And yes, I did have the question in mind all along. And sorry about the font. No clue as to what happened. And some mild ooc for Vegeta. So what's new?

# Part 2

Gohan sighed again, finally deciding to plunge in. He lowered his voice. "On the day we defeated Cell. You said something that disturbed me. At the time I just thought you had given up on us having any chance to defeat him, but after all the dust settled, I kinda got the feeling there was more to it than that."

Vegeta froze. His mind flashed back to that day. That moment. Those words that had utterly changed his life. Never before had he spoken those words. To anyone. And never again since. Not even to his woman. Not even to his son.

"What did you really mean when you said you were sorry?" Gohan watched his face falter for a split second before his usual angry frown deepened. He braced himself for anything the Saiyan prince might throw his way.

"Why are you asking me such a stupid question?" he growled. Standing abruptly he glared at the boy, his ki flaring briefly. But he just turned and walked toward the gravity chamber. He sat down on the ramp and propped back against the door. 'was the boy brave enough to follow?' he watched him out of the corner of his eye.

Gohan sat, a little baffled, looking at his one time enemy. He suddenly became angry. He'd waited to long to ask him that and he wasn't about to be fluffed off. He walked to where Vegeta sat on the ramp, making them eye level.

"I didn't think it was a stupid question. It's something that's been bugging me for years now, and I really want an answer."

"Oh, really. And you think I owe you one? Can't you figure it out on your own? You have to pester me for something so obvious?" he sneered.

"Well, its not so damned obvious to me! Nothing about you is ever what it seems, except your temper! I mean, one minute you're just as stunned as the rest of us that my dad gets killed. Then Cell pops back and kills Trunks. Then you just go nuts and start blasting away, then get the shit kicked out of you! And if I hadn't stepped in, Cell would have turned you into a pile of ashes!" he ranted.

Vegeta's face darkened several shades at the boy vocally reminding him of that day. He had humiliated himself and his whole race. And to top it off, had felt it necessary to apologize to a third rate baka's half-breed son for his actions.

Gohan saw the look and stopped. All his anger leaving as realization finally dawned. Why hadn't he seen it? He remembered the look on the warriors face when he had uttered those words on the battlefield. The shock. The disappointment. The humiliation. The…defeat. His defeat.

"My stupid emotional tirade almost lost us that battle." He couldn't keep the awkward sadness out, that tinged his angry words. "Never have I let emotions block out the battle skills I've honed over my life time. All I accomplished was humiliating my ancestry. And getting you injured, hindering your ability to deal with the enemy."

"You watched your son die before your very eyes. You did exactly what any caring father would have done. It was noble." He saw Vegeta in a different light suddenly. Even after all the years he had known him, all the cruel things he had seen the man do. All that had somehow been overshadowed when he had lost it over Trunks. He had revealed a heart beneath that cold exterior and couldn't deny it anymore. Although he did a good job at keeping everyone pissed off enough to stay clear of him.

Vegeta huffed. "Don't get all sentimental on me boy. No one takes something from me without a fight."

"Yeah. It took all of us. But we got our revenge." An eerie glint flashed in his dark eyes. Cell had taken something from everyone that day. Luckily most of it had been able to be wished back. Everything but Goku. And a prince's pride.

"If your done with the idiotic questions, leave." He stated.

Gohan smiled. "Thanks Vegeta."

"For what?"

"For helping me see in you what my father saw along time ago."

"Hmmph!"

'Yeah, somehow Dad knew what was really in your heart. Even when you didn't yourself.' He thought, then added, "Oh, and Vegeta. I consider it an honor to fight by your side. And so did Dad."

He smiled inwardly as the Saiyan arched a brow at him, then nodded. His way of saying 'thanks'. The sounds of laughter broke him out of his melancholy mood, and he walked back to the party.

**I hope this made some sense. Its really late and I left my notebook with the rough draft of this in my locker. If you don't like it, I'm sure you'll let me know, and I might make some revisions, or just rewrite it completely. Just hated to keep you hanging for too long!**


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